Technical Field
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for cutting non-linear trenches into concrete decks and floors in walk-behind fashion to make the resulting concrete resemble natural stone or flagstone pavers.
Background Information
Concrete is one of the most common building materials in the world. It is used for sidewalks, foundations, roads and numerous other applications. One common application of concrete is as a material for flooring, both indoors and outdoors, e.g., by pouring concrete into a preformed shape by use of forms fabricated from wood or other suitable materials. Over time, horizontal concrete surfaces (concrete ground surfaces), especially outdoors, suffer from deterioration due to aging, freeze-thaw cycles and other environmental factors. In particular, freeze-thaw cycles and the resultant thermal expansion/contraction create cracks in outdoor concrete surfaces such as sidewalks and roads, and cause it to crumble. Various approaches have been devised to repair these cracks in the hope of prolonging the useful life of these outdoor concrete surfaces. For example, cracks can be cleared of debris, e.g., using hand-held electric grinders and the like, and then filled with caulk or other flexible fillers. Such repairs, however, tend to be unsightly and the caulk tends to dry out and require periodic replacement.
Other attempts to prolong the life of outdoor concrete surfaces involve using conventional grinders to make linear cuts in the concrete to form joints that allow for expansion and that provide a controlled crack direction (following the joint which makes the concrete thinner along its length). However, conventional grinders used for this purpose, namely, for making fresh cuts in concrete without following pre-existing cracks, tend to be limited to cutting straight lines. Conventional handheld grinders also tend to be difficult to operate for extended periods of time, forcing the user to be hunched over in close proximity to the cutting wheel.
Moreover, the foregoing approaches produce surfaces with obviously repaired cracks and linear cuts of limited aesthetic appeal. Thus, a need exists for a system and method for restoring concrete surfaces that addresses the aforementioned issues.